Learn How to Say No to New Assignments

Most of us say yes to requests and assignments without filtering them by what’s urgent, let alone what’s possible. We like saying yes to our superiors, but agreeing to do too many things leaves us overstressed and overworked. A better approach is to remember that saying no is critical to your, and the company’s, success. Being effective requires making tradeoffs. So remember that it’s OK to raise questions and push back on assignments, even if it’s scary to do. You can ask senior leaders whether a new assignment takes precedence over your other projects, or how a new task fits with the company’s priorities. Voicing your concerns ensures that senior leaders have fully thought through what they’re asking you to do. And it gives you a constructive way to say no to assignments that you just don’t have the bandwidth to take on.